Tsuki no Uragawa [EVENT]

[acids]

The lush lower peninsula of the Land of Moon is home to many mountain ranges. Ranging from forests to snow capped mountains, the south of Moon Bay can be a perilous land to those foreign to its inhabitants. Danger lurks around almost every bush - but deep within the mountains of the lower cusp of the island lies an intricate labyrinth of networking caverns. If one were to travel and successfully venture the entire expanse of the place, they'd find themselves underneath the Moon Bay. It would take days--possibly weeks--to make it from the bottom of the island and underneath the bay to reach the cavern openings located at the upper cusp of the island. That region lies in the thicket of some unknown forest. However, that maze of dark caverns is known as Tsuki no Uragawa, or the Dark Side of the Moon Caverns.

Tsuki no Uragawa Caverns

The Dark Side of the Moon Caverns. The mountainous entrance is located on the lower cusp of the island; while found within a vast mountain range, it does not take one long to find the place. The smell of death lingers stagnantly at the mouth of the cavern. Blood and bone can be seen scattered wantonly within the region of the odorous maw; it appears as if though the mountain itself is the cause of the horrific view given the acute rocks that jut forth from the entrance like fanged teeth. Within the caverns is total darkness--flashlights and torches are essential to explore this region of Tsuki no Kuni. But explorer be warned: several ghastly creatures make these labyrinths their home and all of them are well suited within the abysmal cave with their honed senses.

[acids]

Reptilian creatures, in the same likeness of men, rode upon the backs of dark steeds on the shoreline of the Moon isle. They moved with silence and efficiency across the stark sands of the beach, towards the inner regions were lay green forests and high mountains; on occasion, one could stumble upon caverns on Tsuki no Kuni, and these just so happened to have established a sort of base at a northern cave site. 

---

Natives of the Land of Moon have for years told stories of Lizard Men walking the forests. No one wanted to actually believe such a case: most turned a deaf ear... until the strange disappearances started to happen. Many villagers of even the capital Zokuji had come up missing, which led many to believe that the Saurians disguised themselves as humans to blend in with the natives. And how else would they have tricked the Foot Clan pirates to aid them in illegal piracy acts against the very Nation that bred them....



Years ago, in the facility known as the Meikei Water Base, several scientists figured out a way to craft a superior weapon. It was biological: to create a reptilian-human hybrid that could traverse the water ways of the world to spread the might of Kirigakure no Sato. But things went awry; test subjects turned violent given the mere nature of the reptile in them. The operations at the Mekei Base were immediately shut down and the place operated no more. Now dysfunctional, the Base was left with numerous hybrids locked down in the laboratory;  and given the swift rise to science, the village hardly noticed when they shut down the district of Clam entirely and moved to the new hub of Dew. It didn't take long for crime to break out in the dark western Hamaguri, and the Meikei Base and older ninja academy acted as bases of operations for nukenin and criminal alike. The ANBU hardly ventured here, choosing to "lock the criminals inside the district and not let them leak out," but that was ineffective in the case of the Saurians. 

Bred to move through water and evade suspicion, the Lizard Men were able to break out of the old Water base during a violent fight between rival gangs in the district. They took to the water and nimbly moved through the gates of the Egress that had been currently under construction. No one seemed to actually notice the lizard threat, since newer villains rose in their stead. Years passed with no sign of the Saurians.

Until almost a century ago.

Tales told of men in the likeness of lizards running amok in Water country. But that couldn't be... could it? The reports reached the ears of the council and forthwith they'd become stricken with this returning burden. How could this have happened? They asked; no one knew, so immediately a team was formed of the Butai Operatives to investigate the ruins of the Meikei. With the threat returning to Kirigakure, forces were mobilized to cease it before it spread through the new futuristic areas of the village. The Hamaguri district was truly a wicked place, to have brought the return of the Saurians. What they ANBU found there was horrendous: logs of failed lab tests; ritual tomes used with science to perform the "alchemy;" and one stumbled upon a Saurian himself, and failed to kill the creature. Death came quickly to the young Falcon member, and the reptilian managed to escape with a moon crescent trident....

In a few years time, the local problem of reptilian hybrids stopped on Thales. The threat was diminished and now the Yondaime reigned.  Peace resumed for a while.

During Molokai's reign, piracy steadily increased across the seafoam isles, and Mizu no Kuni ships were hit numerous times by bandit raids. Important village scrolls were lost alongside other items of the daimyo and cities of Mizu Kuni. This would soon spill over into the Fifth's reign and not even they had properly taken cause, given the crippled economy that suffered at the time to a tremendous loss in funding from the nation daimyo. With no nautical resources, Kirigakure was virtually left isolated and slowly grew in technology and mists. 

Now more reports come from Zokuji. They have sought other Nation's aid in this problem, but none have wished to help. With chance villagers surviving encounters with these scaly creatures, many claimed that they had Kirigakure technology and items. Several had even seen Mist nukenin working with the Saurians, which made the Moon natives point fingers at the lonely isle. The village council cringed at the thought, yet an inauguration had saved them as a Rokudaime stepped into office.

With Kaguya Hyobe rising to power as the Sixth Water Shadow, the village council thought they had found their scapegoat. He was already of the barbaric tribe Kaguya - surely he would not manage the Great Nation properly, and the council's previous failure would be swept under the rug. 

Yet not so....

The allied forces of Kirigakure no Sato and Yukigakure no Sato would rid the moon isle of this dark plague, which has its roots in one of the Mist's very own operations base.

---

"Where are the prisoners?" it spoke with a very wet tongue, almost a mixture of Common and Aquan. This helmeted fiend rode a hideous steed. Both appeared to be scaled; green and squamous creatures with reptilian features. It was talking to a human companion, a man dressed in black ninja clothing with a red claw mark on the back. He also wore a samurai helmet and had a sword strapped to his back. "Over there," he would reply in that same odd tongue, obviously capable of bilingual communication with the Saurian.

[acids]

"Mnahn'gof'nn..." the words gurgled in the throat of the red eyed, green squamous creature as it ran its long and curved nail across the face of a woman who had been tied up in a low-lit cavern; his kin would remain outside, conducting various activities that would soon add fuel to the fire that was set to begin. The blonde captive, and several others, would moan loudly behind cloths that had been applied to their mouths. The reptilians took a strong dislike to back talk, which was something that humans seemed to excel at.

Some weeks earlier, a man was made an example of as his skin was flayed and fed to one of their demonic steeds in front of them. These lizard men demanded silence from these.. sacrifices, and to try to rise up against them was idiotic and suicidal. The inhabitants of the Moon Isle solemnly wept as they awaited whatever horrors they were soon to be forced to withstand; many shook in terror while others were frozen in a state of paralysis from the wicked tortures they have already withstood in the forest regions of Tsuki no Kuni. Soon, another sacrifice was to be called forward and taken deep into the Dark Side of the Moon caverns... but who? The blonde woman looked tempting; but one Saurian seemed to take a liking to this particular woman, who, for now, seemed to not be the likely candidate for demise. 

The armour laden reptilian approached an elderly man and took him by his arm violently. Given the ropes also applied to the wrists of the humans, they had little room to fight off their captors; he would rise from a pile of dirt and smelled as if though he hadn't seen fresh water in several days. "..Nog-og." The hoary old man tried to fight off the reptilian but had not enough strength to break the sturdy grasp of the stronger entity. Several other captives wailed as the man was dragged out of their encampment, knowing all too well the future that lay in store from their fellow Manisian. Several of the Foot Clan members stationed outside of the alcove gulped as they witnessed the man trying desperately to fight off the Saurian with no avail; he was taken deep into the dark maw of the main cavern where rituals and other occult experiences took place.




Several moments later, his screams could be heard burping out of the cave's mouth; the echo was enough to cause the few men stationed outside, or those who were curious, to quickly take up another proclivity on the Moon isle. Terrified of these creatures, but solely in it for the riches they were promised, the Hohei moved to the northern shore side and talked amongst themselves. Whispers spread fear into their individual consciousnesses: "Will they kill us next?" he seemed curious, he had seen so many sacrifices made and there didn't seem to be an end to the madness; "What possesses them to sacrifice these innocent people..?" another spoke, stumbling over his own words as he turned his head sharply upon hearing the wind pick up; "I hear that there is an ancient evil lurking within the Tsuki no Uragawa... lets just hope that they don't need us to follow them inside of that wretched zone!!" As they spoke, these men clutched their souls and swords, ever cautious of their surroundings and the environment. Apparently word had spread that these Saurians could even camouflage themselves and sneak up on you in an instant! More fear and shivering was shared by the small party.

---

---

Over the horizon, a small figure would manifest. This was the passenger ship of Kirigakure no Sato. Among the shinobi present, those of the Snow Nation also ventured into the deep south to investigate the rumors. The chunin commander Shinkichi stood at port side, looking off into the jungle distance with an ocular apparatus strapped to his head. "We're close... any minute now til we land..." As he spoke, he turned around and looked at the gathered shinobi. He would inspect his wares and tools; this, he also expected them all to do as they too were trained to inspect their equipment properly. 

Still aboard the swanesque vessel, they awaited the distant sands of Tsuki no Kuni. From this distance, nothing could be truly distinguished from the shore, aside from the general curvature of the island at its cusp. The Hohei Clan didn't see them and the Mist and Snow ninja couldn't see them. The landing zone of Team Frozen Mist was no where near the gathered pirate men....

SPOILER: Click to show

the established posting order [currently]

- GM
- dandead10
- Dealer's Button
- Not Loki
- Ishin Shakuya

[dandead10]

The young gennin Senshi Odayakama had been reflecting on her training during her partie's journey to this land. Senshi's eyes had sparkled at the new sights she had seen, as she hasn't had much opportunity to travel, and she most definately had never left her nation. The ocean was a beautiful splendid sight that was calm most of the way. She had kept quiet and to herself most of the time as she had done a lot of thinking. She had learned what this team had been assembled for, and she had thought of the dangers that may be met. Senshi would currently be sitting on a crate on the transport as she is shining her standard katana with a rag, black sheath on her left side. Senshi is also armed with two slots of shuriken and one slot of kunai hidden within her rainbow cloak. It would appear that she doesn't have anything obviously as it looks like she doesn't have anything except for her sword.

Senshi had suddenly heard the words of her more experienced comrade Shinkichi. "We're close... any minute now til we land..." Senshi had felt solemn and honestly a little frightened at what she may face as she stands, sliding her blade into its sheath. Her amber eyes had observed the oddly shaped island in curiosity as she had steeled herself for what horrors that are on the island. She is...unexperienced, and therefore she must stay sharp and fight intelligently. She would then proceed to walk closer to the railing of the ship. Senshi had looked into the waters as she had whispered, "May Kami guide me and my comrades through this mission. I hope that my skills are enough to help me here and make sure I don't get in the way of my allies." Senshi had then took a deep breath as she would begin to walk closer to Shinkichi's side. She is completely prepared to leave this ship as she craves walking on solid land.

As shinobi of the mist, she wishes to perform her best for her nation and her village. Seeing all of these higher ranked and skilled shinobi here however fills her with worry. Perhaps she is out of her league here? Thoughts of worry had begun to leave her mind as she had suddenly taken on a more calm demeanor. She will not allow herself to think those thoughts as if she does, it will only cause her to panic. Targets that panic will only be slaughtered faster. The young ten year old would begin to think more positive thoughts. Shinobi often head out on missions knowing they very well may never return, and this mission will be no different for Senshi. The young girl will do as well as she can, and if she fails...she loses her life. Whatever happens happens is what the young child had said to herself as she awaited the landing. Her rainbow cloak would flutter in the wind as her other cloak is under the first.

[Dealer's Button]

Venturing onward with the crew the Hachidaime Yukikage peacefully stared out at the distant horizon. Soft sounds of waves crashing upon the boat was the only music needed for the storm to be peaceful before the conflict would occur. He did not actively seek out glorious battles instead he was drawn to them because it protected the weak which he fought for throughout his years. His precious daughter Gunnr still upon his shoulders, was glanced at by the proud father before an warm smile upon his lips to reassure her that everything would be alright. Ace knew it was probably best to keep her out of harms way but her blood boiled for glorious battle. Slightly looking over his equipment, his eyes glanced upon the 3 holsters upon his body. One was upon each wrist while one was strapped upon the Chivalrous Gambler's belt on his left hip. Each of the wrist holsters were loaded with 4 poker decks consisting of 55 cards per deck while the hip card holster consisted of one deck of poker cards. The card enchanter's right white gloved hand briefly slithered into his buttbag, gloved finger tips brushing against the 80 ice exploding tags within.

Glancing about his light blue eyes briefly looked at his comrades hoping that their skills would aid them. One in particular was very young as if fresh from the academy then again age was not an major factor of strength an prime example is the valiant 8 year old upon his shoulders. "each horizon foretells the story of an valiant warrior the beginning of his struggle and the end of it" Ace would begin to say to his comrades his tone calm and polite. "this is our day our moment our page in history no matter the struggle we shall fight till the glorious end" he exclaimed proudly and loudly to boaster the moral of the group. Indeed this was an new horizon an new page of history of the valiant struggle of men and bravery.

[Not Loki]

Gunnr was content sitting on her father's shoulders, so much so that she had lend over and rested her elbows on the top of his head, and placed her own head into her open palms. It must have been quite the sight to see her father give such a speech while having her resting there. Gunnr herself looked at the group that had gather, she saw a young one here, probably the same age as her current body, maybe even younger. This was a little concerning to Gunnr, she felt that this was no place for children, forgetting for a moment that she was herself in fact a child. She would keep her concerns to herself until she had the time to cast an actual judgement.

Gunnr had her leather utility belt, and was wearing it over her navy blue skirt of the day. That utility belt also holds a rather large sword, held the on her lower back horizontally, the Angurvadal. A sword that was given to her as her birth right. It's a broad sword, but it's large in comparison to her small body. She keeps the sword sheathed on the lower of her back. This sword is inscribed with Runic letters, that are suppose to blazed in time of war, but gleam with a dim light in times of peace. However, the sword has yet to blaze for Gunnr when she has done battle. She believes it is in a deep slumber and seeks to relieve it. However, the sword is still able to give off its' glow, when she needs it.

She actually hopes that these adventure with her father will help awaken the sword. Inside of her Utility Belt she housed 80 Locking, Exploding, and Fake Exploding Tags; as well as 3 slots of shuriken, and two kunia hidden up her sleeves. She is wearing a yellow button down sweater, she paired it with a modest navy blue skirt. Underneath the skirt are long, thermal tights, and over those tights she wore leathers boots that go up to about her knees. And of course, Sir Floppy wasn't far behind as she had him hanging on her hip. She never went too fat without her trusted sidekick. As she hung on her father's back, she looked more like a child on her way to grade grade, rather than the transcendent warrior that she was.

"Hope there's worthy warriors where we're going... at least worthy enough to make me break a sweat... this is getting boring papa." Gunnr replied, as the petulant child, started to emerge once again. So much destructive power in such a small irritable package, what was the Allfather thinking?

[Ishin Shakuya]

-Enter-

While hanging around on one of the ship's galves I harmlessly poked at it with one of my 20 senbon needles while occasionally throwing them at the mast. With such a close target I was pretty much unable to miss, and due to the fact that it was either hit your target or lose ammunition I was pretty grateful for a close target. After realizing that I used up the rest of my needles I picked them out from the mast and hopped back down to the deck to join up with my master and the others. "Hey sensei, since these are pirates how much loot do you think they have anyway? If these guys end up having quite a bit then, if you don't mind me suggesting, try gathering as much of it as you can once the smoke clears, I've got an idea." I said while checking my type 2 tactical vest, 16 caltrops, and quarterstaff which I wore on my back for the moment.

[acids]

The Mist and Snow guild would arrive on land as the front side of the ship dug into the rich sands of the Moon isle. Shinkichi was the first to hop off the boat; before hand, he had spoken to Ishin briefly. The boy was around his age and hell, why not try to scope out the competition for future interactive missions?

"So I hear you Snow nin are fierce riders.. that true?" he whispered before the ship had even hit the shoreline. The way he looked at Ace and his child was comical, as he had never seen a father-daughter ninja duo. Shin shrugged, finding the customs of Yukigakure-no-Sato peculiar by the second; on the other hand, he looked at the sole Genin Senshi. How would she fair here? ...Weeks before, though, she had taken down the criminal Ito in the haunted Clam district, so he felt somewhat at ease... but this could be different. Not much known about the reptilian hybrids that fled the Nation of Mist. 


His eyes scanned the surrounding treeline as the others soon departed the water craft.

"Alright. Lets get this straight, here." He would then issue out walkie-talkies to each individual; "Set the channel to 1-3-3-7. Haha, yeah, awesome, right? Anyway, I was thinking we should probably split up... what say you, Hachidaime-san?" Shinkichi had finally handed the man his own communications device and stared at him for  a moment. Of course, if he would disagree, then the party would continue on as a whole; otherwise, Shinkichi would then suggest this:


"Given your status as the Eight Ice Shadow, I know and feel that you would fair well on your own. But of course, your daughter would accompany you." He would then reveal a map, showcasing routes across the isle of Moon. "Here we are," he pointed out; "Now, a team of myself, Senshi and Ishin will take the second route, to the south, to try to gain a position advantage on the enemy, if we so encounter one." His finger would then trail towards another line: "Alright, this will be your path. To the west, is a main road.. it would be ideal for you to venture this way with your daughter, as you both would appear just as travelers... my team will be the main one fighting, unless you all run into trouble yourselves." 

Had Ace decided on not splitting up as the Chuunin suggested, then a third route was offered: "Or we all go this way, to the east and south, avoiding both main roads and side ones. It's a bit longer, but maybe we would encounter some sort of ritual shrine, or oooh, perhaps a dead body?" He then coughed, trying to cover up his weird fantasies. "Ahem, either way, your choice. Lord Hyobe has instructed me to be very open minded in the role of operations with our allies, Hachidaime-san."

SPOILER: Click to show

Dealer's Button  - pick your poison

all others, feel free to make general posts on environment, or what not. also allowing you a second chance to restate your inventory if anything has been left out.  

+1 walkie-talkie to every one

[acids]

Elsewhere on the isle, a terrible scream was produced. It was blood curdling and loud... perhaps loud enough to stretch the span of several klicks, actually.

The crimson hued blade on a reptilian danced through the air, losing its red sheen before it was quickly sheathed in its scabbard. "Uln'la n'ghftan'ron," he spoke in an aquatic tongue; the language was so filled with gurgling that it was a surprise that he did not drown on his own dark words. As the blood spilled from the latest sacrifice, several other green-scaled men carted the corpse off into the darkness of the cave. What a terrible evil....



Still on another side of the beach, somewhat near the main road, were the Foot Clan bandits. All outfitted in traditional samurai armour with katana and shortswords. Several had butt bags clung to their metallic apparel, others held axes and cloaks with hidden items. All together, the force was about five strong, experts in the sword arts of hand-to-hand combat. After a while, one ended up kicking a seashell down the way, having grown tired of the boring climate of Tsuki-no-Kuni.

"Gaah, damned Saurians! Can we just get paid already and leave this retched isle?! I am sick and tired of them killing humans for their cause!" His voice was angry, but low enough for the scaled men to not hear him. "I am certain all of you heard that scream just now? Fucking psychopaths, I tell ya..."

[dandead10]

Odayakama Senshi had walked off the ship feeling a bit wobbly as she had adjusted to being on land again. Odayakama Senshi had rubbed the back of her forehead as she looked to her fellow shinobi. She had looked through her gear one more time and had realized she had also found a tiny scroll as well as a slot of wire. Senshi had then been given a radio. She had set the channel to 1-3-3-7. Senshi had put it into her cloak as she listened to the plan. She had felt...concerned at what she heard. As one of the weaker members of this group, she hopes she won't be a burden.

Senshi had felt splitting up and or sticking together both had pros and cons. Senshi had never knew a father daughter shinobi team was possible. Senshi's own father had been gone with her mother on a mission out of the nation. She hopes deeply they are okay. Odayakama Senshi had thought of what these so called lizard hybrids can do. She would await the Hachidaime Yukikage to make his decision as she had been brought into deeper thoughts of her own family. She had looked at the floor solemn perhaps even crestfallen as she wonders if her parents died. She would shake those thoughts from her head. She must still have faith that they are living, still out there as she gets ever stronger. Senshi had tapped her foot as she looks out to the environment of the land. She wouldn't be surprised of there are traps everywhere in the landscape. Saurians sound like a fascinating race, but that made her wonder something important. Seeing not much is known about them other than that they are a lizard race, she had made a hypothesis about them.

Reptiles are extremely susceptible to warmth and or the cold. Perhaps Saurians have the same weakness as the normal animals. Senshi wishes there was more intel about their weakness. She had considered making water clones now as this would be the best time as there may not be greater water sources outside. Odayakama Senshi had then decided against it. The clones may be able to spot hiding enemies and also activate traps to die, but would also allow them to be easily spotted. Senshi had felt curious on their actual goal, and so she turned to Shinkichi. "Gomenosai, but would you please explain what our mission goal is? What is our actual mission?" Senshi had said this sounding highly serious and mature for a child her age. Shinkichi may be able to remember from her detailed report that she is a ten year old. After so much training and hard work, she has grown in body and mind. Seeing the Yukikage himself is here, she believes she honestly won't walk back home to Kirigakure. She is completely prepared to die if needed for the sake of her village. She isn't looking TO die, but if she does...well what happens happens.

[Dealer's Button]

As each moment ticked away while the boat approached the island, the thrill of battle increased in the atmosphere.Ace was not particularly excitted to kill these strange creatures that have plagued the land yet battling and understanding them was thrilling for sure. His dear daughter mentioned if these strange warriors could be worthy which the Hachidaime Yukikage responded by smiling and gently rubbing her golden scalp with his ungloved left hand. "indeed,their valor may be worthy to fortell throughout the ages"[/i] he gently and politely mentioned to her. Light blue eyes looked onward as an soft smirk appeared upon the card enchanter's lips. "indeed through out the ages young one" he thought as the ship approached the land.

When they got closer their guide mentioned Yuki no Kuni famous history of being fierce riders. It was an old tale of brave warriors riders through the hellish blizzards of the arctic land with Death being their ally. "tales that is true, we not only ride through the deadly blizzards of our land yet ride with it always aware of our neighbore Death" Ace replied giving the individual an polite smirk while grasping the offered communication devise. Setting the devise to the correct channel, the Chivalrous Gambler listened to his suggesion on the starting point. It seemed correct to have he and his daughter pose as an traveling pair possibly baiting out some of these reptalian fiends. "that methods seems sound also remember we are to help your command is still the guide for this mission" he mentioned to him making sure it was understood that Yukigakure would not force command upon them.

[Not Loki]

Gunnr listened to her papa, and the man that seemed to be giving orders for this mission. She folded her arms a little upset that her papa would get to play with the walkie-talkie. Once again, her child nature seeped through. It was hard for one so powerful at such a young age to truly mature. Others gain power to harsh trails and training, while hers for the most part was gifted onto her by the Allfather. Her irriatation dwindled when she heard that she and her papa would be the ones to draw the attenting of thier targets.

"Haha, so me and papa are to be the vangaurds? Most wise... I will relish this opportunity." The little girl started to get excited, and in repose to her excitement, her hair started to give of a very faint glow, and seemed to become lighter than air as it danced around her. Her eyes gleamed a deep blue color, it was like looking into the sea itself. Her little body started to fidget as she awaited anxiously for them to reach the sore. This would be her first proper life or death situation, and the prospect did not instill fear, no. Like the Valkyrie that she was the idea filled her with unbridled joy.

[acids]

Shinkichi would address the kunoichi on his team before continuing on with the Mist scheme. It was wise to further fill them all in on what their objective was, just in case they had forgotten or if it was unclear.

"Pay close attention, please." he commanded; with his finger, he knelt down and began to draw in the sand at their feet. "Alright, we are to first find the lair of these monsters and eradicate them. Sure, it may sound easy, but we don't know much about the Saurians." He marked their location and started to scribble in the sand a few marks and trail lines; really, Shinkichi could have pulled out the mission detail, but figured it was better to try to demonstrate to the ten year old. "From the routes suggested, we will all converge on them and infiltrate their lair. Several Dragon operatives of the ANBU have worked with Owl members and even villagers from the Moon country to find out bits and pieces about the reptilians whereabouts... but what we are really here for is this heirloom of Kirigakure." Now, he started to draw out the weapon. It was crude, but could be recognized as a trident of sorts.

"The Moon Crescent. It is our primary objective, with the killing of the reptiles being secondary seeing as they are keeping us from completing the main reason why we are here."

Simple, he thought. But now that he had briefly explained that to Senshi and the others, he looked up to the Hachidaime and nodded. "..Okay, whenever you two are ready, head down the main road and begin to investigate anything you notice that seems suspicious. Report anything that seems too far-out back to me; my team will relay information to you on a need be basis, also." The chuunin stood and stamped out the drawing in the sand.

"Now, lets move. You two come with me," he waved to the Mist ninja and Ishin.

SPOILER: Click to show

Skipping Ishin this round.

Still busy in real life, and I see that many others are as well. We will try to follow a strict 4-day IIC, but I will be a bit lenient on that.


I have already been in the process of using skills in this event. You all will see based on what texts I will deploy against/for you.

[acids]

As the two teams would separate and go their destined ways, Shinkichi gave one more word of advice.

"Oh, right. Lets try to keep a low profile, here. Only use ninjutsu or genjutsu when you absolutely must. As of right now, we are merely a recon team until we now what we are up against. It would be a waste to use all of your chakra when we don't even know what's lurking around the Tsuki-no-Kuni island..."

He, Senshi and Ishin would then part towards the south, leaving the Eighth Yukikage and his valkyrie daughter to their devices.

The Snow Shadow and his young kin would find a winding road to the west of their current location. On either side, a forest blanketed out their periphery; the road seemed to stretch and wind for miles with no one in sight. The occasional chirping of birds would hit their ears, but aside from that, nothing else but the faint sound of crashing waves would echo in the distance...


Continuing along their path, they would sometime later encounter an elderly woman struggling down the road with a cart in tow... had they chosen to interact with this woman, she would become startled by their presence.

---

Swiftly, Shin carried his team through the massive forests of Moon country. They did little to hide their movements, as they sailed from branch to branch in the upper tree line, thus providing them with an aerial vantage point. Not too far from them, though, they would smell a faint burning smell, not to mention the horrendous stench of blood on the air. The chuunin would immediately tell his comrades to halt as they waited to see what would appear from the forests....


Two men, dressed in brown clothing and carrying blades moved a corpse along a natural pathway. Clearly this person had been burned and was either dead or on the brink of death.

One of the men commented: "I wonder what sort of god these damned beasts pray to, sacrificing human flesh for their cause! Why on earth would they channel these dark energies here to this isle... the Moon of all places."

No order other than observation was given to the two ninja under Shinkichi's command... for now.

[dandead10]

As Senshi hopped from tree to tree with her orange haired superior and the Shinobi from Yukigakure, she had felt a bad feeling about what horrors they would encounter on this island. She had tried to focus her mind on something else such as keeping her eyes open for anything suspicious. The young ten year old currently took the time to tie her headband around her neck as her hair was in a ponytail. Suddenly a horrid coppery smell had filled her nose. She would recognize it as the smell of blood. Also a smell of burning flesh filled the air. She had coughed into her sleeve as she had never smelt this much blood before. Perhaps because the other times she had fought, she was too much into the moment to realize the smell.

Odayakama had been ordered to stop as she had seen two men armed with swords dragging a corpse along the road. She had heard orders to observe the scene from her leader. She understood the reason why quite simply. By following and observing, important information could be gained. Perhaps they would be able to find the Saurian base? She was curious on what the men meant when they said, "Dark energies." She would wonder what they mean by that as she had her nose to her sleeve to ignore the horrid smell. She had wondered if they might be capturing one of the men some point. The young girl had stayed as quiet as possible while trying not to vomit from the smell pf bint flesh. The young girl obviously lacks experience as she seems phased by the disgusting aromas. She aknowledges that using Ninjutsu and Genjutsu isn't wise at the moment, and that preserving chakra is important. Odayakama Senshi had crouched in her tree, three shuriken drawn as she looked down at the two armed men just as a precaution.

[Dealer's Button]

Hearing the details and being given the communication devise Ace noticed Gunnr pouting adorably. He chuckled with an gentle smile upon his lips while gently stroking her golden locks as she remained upon his shoulders. As battle was mentioned the little warrior taped into her heritage her skin radiating an gentle blue and ferocity of lust of battle erupted from the small one's eyes. Once the briefing was over, the Hachidaime Yukikage gave the commanding lead an node of agreement. A few moments later the other team headed out their way quickly leaping into the trees, he watched them leave for a few moments before turning his attention to the winding road ahead. Glancing up at the heavens an solemn and gentle frown slightly appeared upon the card enchanter's lips. He wondered if Reddo and Onyx was watching over this day awaiting to see their ally and faithful knight bring justice to the villains awaiting ahead. "my little gem onward for our relaxing stroll" the red leg master commented before heading onward fallowing the road.

Casually moving onward, the 8th ice shadow light blue eyes glanced at the trees as his ears listened to the surroundings. Only picking the chirp of birds and faint crash of waves. Halting for an brief moment, he gently bent down making sure his precious daughter would not fall of his shoulders while grasping a couple blades of grass with his ungloved left hand. "Gunnr do you know what is the true victory of battle" he politely questioned wondering if the Valkyrie could answer this question which he have pondered ever since taking his first life. Awaiting for the answer his eyes glanced at the grass seeing life and death in his ungloved hand. "the precious prize is to have the memories and appreciation of the tranquil moments expressed by life itself even when your hands are stained crimson" Ace informed her an sad smirk slightly damping his usual upbeat polite smirk. Hearing his own words, he gently blew the blades of grass from his hands allowing the wind carry it to the remain's destined location. "was i seeking those moments at that fateful day" he pondered regarding the first day he found the little warrior.

A few moments later, the Hachidaime Yukikage noticed an elder woman attempting to drag an cart down the road. He slightly raised one of his light blond eyebrows out of curiosity wondering why an civilian was making themselves so vulnerable to the creatures that have been sighted on the island. Gently the proud father tugged the little girl upon his shoulder's close to his head putting an hand up to block view from his mouth. "remain on the boundary of alert and calm I will have a wood replacement prepaired with bindings" he whispered into the little girl's ears. He quickly tapped into his chakra network picturing the material and jutsu from his own vessel. When that was formed and prepared he friendly walked over to the woman giving her an friendly and polite smile. "madam may I assist with your task my daughter and I mean no harm only here to enjoy the weather" he informed her somewhat telling the woman of their purpose on this island. After all they did come to complete the mission in great weather like anyone else. During this conversation, he remained alert and prepped to respond to any danger that could occur. If the elderly woman accepted the help, Ace would signal for Gunnr to hop off of his shoulders.

SPOILER: Click to show

Unknown Jutsu prepped

[Not Loki]

The two of them walk through the forest together. Much to Gunnr's delight. She had nothing against to others that were on the mission with them, she just wouldn't trust any of them  with her life. It was the exact opposite with Ace, so much so that if she wasn't so proud, she would take a little cat nap until something exciting happened.  However, her Valkyrie blood would not allow for such blanton fooled that this child form demanded. Strong as her pride might be, it would not force her off of her father's shoulders. She kept telling herself that this was the best place for her, because it provided a prime vantage point. She would refuse to admit that she just enjoyed sitting there. Ace soon knelt down and pulled a couple blades of grass and asked Gunnr an odd and want she thought was an obvious question. 

"True victory is achieved when everyone who choices to stand against you, lay silent beneath your boot heels." This was the Valkyrie talking not the child. This was the war goddess that had seen and experienced more battles than maybe any living man. This was made evident by the serious tone in her voice, the angelic other worldly voice that usually inspired enchantment, was much more forceful and a bit terrifying. Gunnr shook her head as if she was regaining herself, and heard her papa's answer. "That's a nice thought, papa. But nothing, can drive those thoughts away. The gods made blood so thick and bright, and made stain so deeply for a reason." The child like angelic voice had strung forth again, and was now giving out council far beyond her apparent age. "It reminds us that taking lives, is not something be considered lightly. The giving and taking of lives are best left to the Gods." 

Her words her wise and gentle. So often and easily people forget that Valkyrie while they can be the harbingers of death, are also healers who can restore life. Up till this point Gunnr had only been concern with battle, maybe this was a sign that she was ready to embrace the other half of herself. As the elder women came into view Gunnr heeded her father's words and remained alert. Gunnr had read many a story where situationa like this wereview comman. A defense lady acts as a trap to drop one's guard. A tactic used by bandits and other unsavory lots.

[Ishin Shakuya]

Upon jumping from tree to tree I managed to catch one of their limbs, planting both of my feet onto it's trunk when the leader of our break off group gave us the order to stop. I wondered why he wanted to stop until I saw what he meant. I was appalled by what I saw;a pile of burnt corpses with two men stacking onto it. It was like a messed up bonfire that made me nearly sick to my stomach from just the smell alone. Our leader told us to just keep watch, but I readied my quarterstaff in case we either needed a quick escape or that we needed to fight this one out.

Ugh that smell...I can barely take it. From what I could see, the two men only had one sword for each of them, sadly I couldn't tell if they had any kind of armor underneath their clothing. And from what I could hear, the dead were the "pirates" that we were after. Although, I don't think that whatever those monsters did could justify...this!

[acids]

"What the hell is going on?" One man commented, taking the corpse and heaving it to the ground. "You know what, I've had enough!" He roared; forthwith he withdrew his blade. With a fire in his eyes, he turned to his ally. "Enough! Join me and help me fight these hellish lizardmen."

But his partner stood frozen. He was taken back by the sudden bravado and hadn't actually expected anyone wanting to usurp the reptilian commanders. He staggered back, waving his prior-ally off. "No-no.. I am fine.. really." He could barely keep his poise, now that the other started slowly after him with his blade.

"Damned traitor. You shall die with them, then!" The attacker lunged and panic seeped from the treeline. Before the man could expose his blade to the heart of the shaken samurai, an acidic ball of pus shot through the air. It ripped into the attacker's back and immediately riddled his body with a medley of corrosive spots. He wailed as the chartreuse energy bubbled his flesh away.

Shinkichi's eyes shot to the area where the blast was released. He tensed up and instantly created a shadow clone. "You two, keep alert. No doubt that was a Saurian.. I've heard of this acid technique..." His clone would drop to the ground and silently zig-zag to the front, hidden within the embrace of the forest. The original and the genin duo would remain back, yet ready to attack and defend, if necessary. One last word of advice from Shinkichi: "Observe your surroundings carefully... there could be others lurking."

---

The Ace and his young Valkyrie shared deep comment with one another before stumbling upon the woman elder. Once interacted with, she turned and revealed ghastly white eyes; dull and infinitely hollow. Her croaking voice was heavy and smelled of alcohol, which seemed to also be her current cargo load. "You... you are strangers in the land. I can smell the frost on you." The woman would drop her cart and steadily circle them, perhaps sizing them up.. but she was certainly a blind elder. As she moved, she at once stopped and expressed an----Ahh! followed by senile smile. "That's it, you two are warriors... are you here to rid the Moonland of the evil essence being manufactured here?" She lifted a gnarled finger to the west still, where once could see over the trail on the horizon a staggering set of mountains. "There... the evil builds."

She would simply turn and hoist the cart back up. If they any further tried to interact with the woman, they would find her unresponsive; almost as if she was ignoring them entirely. Would they forget her as she turned to a shoddy side path, and seek out what evil lay in the west of the island?...

---

[dandead10]

Odayakama Senshi had gotten a general idea of what the Saurians were like. The deeds thsr were being done here were almost like a cult or a demonic worship. Odayakama Senshi wasn't the most religious child, but she had never heard of such hellish deeds being performed that even scum wouldn't perform it. As one of those men were turning on his comrade. What had happened next had startled her quite a bit. Acidic spit had been shot from the woods onto the traitorous man.

She had witnessed the bubbling of skin and she had felt the need to vomit as screams filled the air. She would gulp and grit her teeth as she would instead focus her analytical mind. She had stayed ahead of her enemy as she had seen the trajectory and general direction of where the acid flew from. She had studied where the hidden Saurian would be and she would predict where her enemy would be. She needs to expand her eye of sight. Wait! In this area, she wouldn't be able to use her Mizu Bunshin No Jutsu. There wasn't any source of water around. She would have to have faith in her comrades she would hope they would trust her.

Shinkichi had made a clone as Senshi would have to turn to different methods. She would weave through a short set of handsigns as her chest would expand to inhuman levels. Chakra was in her lungs as it would leave through her system forming into a smooth paste at first. She had suddenly called in her head, "Suiton:Mizuame Nabara!" She would begin to release a sticky slime onto the floor to where she would believe the Saurian would retreat to. Using logic and reasoning she had made an educated guess that the Saurian would retreat further into the bushes in order to see the death of the man covered in acid. Even if she hadn't covered the Saurian in slime outright, it should spread out and travel across the floor. Odayakama Senshi lacks experience but hopefully her smart mind would compensate. She would like to think like a stratagist as an analytical mind is quite important for the role. She would make a trap around the perimeter as she had coughed into her sleeves.

She knows that she wasn't supposed to use Ninjutsu or Genjutsu if she could help it, but the possibility to trap a Saurian and torture it for information was invaluable at the moment. If not, studying a Saurian specimen up close would be a very important thing to do. She couldn't help but turn to her comrades looking insecure about how they would feel. It was times like this she would wish that she had invested her skill into another elemental jutsu. She would draw her standard black katana as she would stick close to her more experienced comrade Shinkichi. As the youngest and least experienced she needs the support more than anybody she feels. The startled samurai left should be easy to take care of assuming they don't kill him off. If he isn't, the samurai himself might be a valuable prisoner.

Senshi's brown eyes would rapidly scan the area for any signs of movement as she is paranoid. This is her second ever life threatening mission and she plans on walking out of it. Was it wrong to be fearful of this situation? Regardless, all that mattered was that the mission was successful and that they all survived this. She still has plenty of chakra to spare. She had expanded her reserves quite a bit through difficult Ninjutsu training. This was the sort of thing that she specialized in. Hopefully that Saurian would fall for that trap of hers.

SPOILER: Click to show

Suiton: Mizuame Nabara,(Water Release: Syrup Capture Field)
Rank: C - B rank
Skill: Ninjutsu
Effect: Using this jutsu, the user can spit a stream of extremely sticky oily syrup that covers the ground and holds opponents in place.
Special: "Handseals"
Drawback: If used too much, the user can become very dehydrated and needs to drink water to wash away the syrup out of their system. Cannot be used more than 5 times in a battle. Any ninja capable of walking on water can avoid being stuck in the syrup, but needs to do so before being caught.
Description: The user performs the necessary hand seals and with just a few seconds of preparation, the user spits out a stream of sticky syrup out of their mouth and aims it at the opponents direction of the field. The C rank technique had the ability to spit a mid level stream of syrup towards the opponent or the opponents area causing them to stick where they are for 2 attacks. The B rank technique has the ability to spit out a very rapid hit to the opponent causing them and the area they step on for three attacks. The damage dealt to the opponent by the B-rank attack is like being hit with a Water Dragon Blast Technique. The oil is extremely flammable so stay caution of it's sensitivity to fire.
Limit: Water Release, experiences on performing technique that exit the mouth.
(Learned C-Rank.)